Fire trucks dominate the back rows of the parking as mourners gather at the Hyundai Pavilion in Devore, Calif., November 5, 2006 for the memorial service for the five firefighters killed during the Esperanza Fire.

Fire vehicles proceed into Hyundai Pavilion in Devore for a memorial service honoring five U.S. Forest Service firefighters who died battling the Esperanza Fire.

DEVORE – Solitary alarm bells called the fallen crew of Engine 57 home one last time Sunday amid a sea of about 10,000 heartbroken relatives, friends and uniformed firefighters who gathered to honor the five men who died fighting the Esperanza Fire.

Tears flowed freely at the memorial service at the Hyundai Pavilion, an open-air amphitheater within sight of the San Bernardino National Forest. Song, ceremony and utter sadness marked the loss of the U.S. Forest Service firefighters in the arson-caused blaze that burned for five days and blackened 63 square miles.

Speakers praised the men and their families. The men’s sacrifice, their heroism and the courage they demonstrated by putting themselves in harm’s way to save the lives and property of others were cited.

Hung above the crowded stage was a banner emblazoned with the words, “Always Remember” and the names Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser, 43, of Idyllwild; Jess McLean, 27, of Beaumont; Jason McKay, 27, of Phelan; Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20, of San Jacinto; and Pablo Cerda, 23, of Fountain Valley.

“The sense of loss we feel, that everyone feels, is profound, painful and it will remain with us. But I hope that the loss will be tempered by memories of who these men were,” said Jeanne Wade-Evans, supervisor of the San Bernardino National Forest, where the men were assigned,adding, “This tragedy has the attention of the nation.”

“They loved doing their jobs but they also loved going home afterwards. This time, they could not go home,” said Evans, describing the five as “pillars of the community.”

A memorial with photos of the five firefighters sat at the front of the stage. Next to each stood a small bronze statue of a fireman holding an ax and a fireman’s helmet, one dedicated to each of the fallen firefighters.

Gov. Schwarzenegger said he was moved to see such a large crowd paying their respects during the two-hour tribute.

“I hope (the families) gain some comfort knowing how many people these men have helped, how many people they have inspired, not only in their jobs but in their lives because they were outstanding people,” Schwarzenegger said.

Just six hours before McKay died, he called his girlfriend — the woman he intended to propose to at Christmas, Schwarzenegger said.

“He said ‘Sweetie, this one looks bad. I love you.’ And then he went off to do his job because that’s what firefighters do,” the governor said.

Support Acknowledged

The five men from Engine 57, based near Idyllwild, were overrun by flames Oct. 26 as they tried to protect an unoccupied home near Twin Pines from a wind-stoked inferno spreading across the San Jacinto Mountains, about 20 miles west of Palm Springs. Hoover-Najera, McKay and McLean died at the scene. Loutzenhiser died en route to a hospital. Cerda suffered burns over more than 90 percent of his body. He died Tuesday at a Colton hospital.

Beaumont mechanic Raymond Lee Oyler pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder and arson charges in connection with the Esperanza Fire. If convicted, Oyler, 36, could be sentenced to death. During a jailhouse interview with a Press-Enterprise reporter Thursday, Oyler denied any involvement with the deadly fire or others with which he has been charged.

“The scourge of arson is nothing less than domestic terrorism,” Mike Dietrich, fire chief of the San Bernardino National Forest, said at the ceremony. Had the blaze been set a few hours earlier or had the wind blown any harder, many residents might not have been able to evacuate, Dietrich said.

He urged firefighters and their families to look around at the sea of love and support assembled at the pavilion.

“Take a minute. It’s amazing,” Dietrich said.

By tradition, he said, when the next emergency call comes into Station 57, the captain will respond, “In memory of…” listing each firefighter’s name and position, closing with, “Engine 57 responding.”

Soft applause followed.

Colorful, Solemn Tribute

On stage, each firefighter’s picture was surrounded by colorful wreaths, such as a red-and-white California Department of Forestry wreath, and a helmet adorned with “E57.” The crowd stood, mostly motionless.

Salutes summoned the color guard, with snapping drum rolls and 30 bagpipe players. They shuffled down from either side of the silent, standing crowd, cameras clicking madly.

Then, they marched in place. The flags flapped wildly as gusty winds buffeted the sun-kissed bowl before clouds rolled in.

“Each of these remarkable men shared a passion for their profession,” said Rep. Mary Bono, R-Palm Springs. “I salute these noble and courageous men.”

She spoke of a spiritual connection to the forest the men died trying to protect and said the firefighters’ friends and families would never again walk those lands without being reminded of their loss.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., spoke from the podium directly to the mourning families, lamenting Hoover-Najera’s loss at such a young age and the terrible burns Cerda suffered. She described how McLean was a devoted son to his mother and McKay’s dedication to the fire service.

To Loutzenhiser’s widow, she said: “To Maria, little can be said that mutes the grief with one exception, your five beautiful children, yours and Mark’s endearing legacy.”

Mark Rey, undersecretary for natural resources and environment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture , which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, tried to comfort Loutzenhiser’s children.

“Don’t regret anything you forgot to tell your father about how you felt about him. He knew, and he knows it today,” Rey said.

Memories of the Five

Norm Walker, division chief of the San Jacinto Ranger District, noted that Engine 57 was a seven-person team, two of whom were at the service.

“The other five are here in spirit,” Walker said. Then he swung into a more personal account, saying that everyone before him had been so serious.

Walker recalled that after the Alandale station had been closed for a couple of years, the crew had to undertake renovations when it reopened. Jess McLean laid the tile “and he was a perfectionist.”

The firefighters worked tirelessly to make improvements above and beyond what was required — and sometimes without Walker’s approval.

Walker said Loutzenhiser, a carpenter, had become expert at calling him and “partially explaining what he had in mind.” When Walker said he didn’t agree with him, the response was, “Chief, you want your car washed?” Walker said, recalling how he often left the station losing the argument but with a clean vehicle.

Audience members laughed for the first time during the service.

Engine 57 a Trusted Crew

New York City Deputy Fire Chief Jim Manahan said he traveled to the memorial as his department’s way of returning the outpouring of support after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

“Where I come from we’ve suffered our own losses,” Manahan said. “No matter what happens and where, we all feel it. We know what the families and this organization is going through.”

During the service, Tom Harbour, director of fire and aviation management for the U.S. Forest Service, described the trust among firefighters, and how Engine 57’s crew could be trusted.

He used a phrase that fire crews use — bump up — meaning that they had completed the job they were assigned to do and were ready to move on to the next.

“Can we go forward? Engine 57, can we bump up? The answer from Mark, Jess, Jason, Pablo and Daniel is yes,” Harbour said. “They can be trusted.”

Those who knew and loved the crew wish that they could still be here, he said.

“But they’ve anchored their line. They have our backs. We can trust them,” Harbour said. “As tough as it is, we will lift our faces. We will look to the ridge.

“Just as we they did their duty, so will we do ours. Bump up, move forward, move ahead. God bless us all,” he said.

The Final Alarm

By tradition, firefighters presented the families of the fallen with a fire helmet and a small statue before a final five alarm bells were tapped out for each of the men.

Firefighters rose in unison after the final alarm bell honoring Engine 57’s men, as the honor guard marched back down the runways on either side of the bowl.

The hum of bagpipes filled the pavilion, evoking emotions.

Planes, then helicopters soared overhead at the conclusion of the memorial service. One helicopter banked skyward in a missing-man formation, symbolizing how the forest service will continue on without its five colleagues.

A rousing rendition, with a full-throated choir, of “Do Not Be Afraid” serenaded the mourning families, and then firefighters as they filed out of the pavilion. Audience members craned their necks for a better look, as the music crashed, rose and carried everyone out into the parking lot.

The seats were nearly empty, but the choir went on, their voices echoing clear and deep.

Crowds, sometimes four people deep, streamed down to the stage to gaze at the pictures of the fallen firefighters. One young woman snapped a picture with a small white camera.

Leaving the seating area, a male firefighter put his arm around a female color guard member holding a rolled-up flag, tears in her eyes under her wide-brimmed tan hat.

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